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(No Model.)

E. S. BACON.

LADDER SPIKE.

No. 375,249; Patented Dec. 20, 1887.

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UNITED STATES (PATENT Orricn.

ELIAS S. BACON, OF ALBION, NEW YORK.

LADDER-SPIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 375,249, dated December20, 1887 Application filed September 27, 1887. Serial No.250,838.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIAS S. BACON, a citi-' zen of the United States,residing at Albion, in the county of Orleans and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Ladder-Spikes, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention has relation to a certain new and usefuldevice to beattached to the lower ends of the side bars of ladders, and which Idenominate a ladder-spike.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and cheap attachmentto a ladder, whereby it may be quickly and easily elevated and placedagainst the side of a building or other object, and be securely held insuch position until it is desired to change its position, theconstruction being such as to enable a single person to handle with easeand safetyvery large ladders, as will presently appear.

To these ends the invention consists in the novel construction andarrangement of parts, which will be fully understood from the followingdescription, when taken in connection with the annexed drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a'ladder with myimproved spikes attached thereto; Fig. 2, a side elevation of a portionof the lower-end of the ladder, showing in dotted lines thedift'erentpositions the ladderassumes while it, is being elevated or raised toposition against a building; Fig. 3, a perspective view of the devicedetached, and Fig. 4 alongitudinal sectional View of the same attachedto the lower end of one of the bars of the ladder. l Referring to thedrawings by letter, A designates a socket open at its upper end andinner side and composed of the-bottom plate,

a, the two sides I), and the back plate, c,having formed on it an upwardextension, d, and

a downward. extension, '6, for the purpose two, as is evident.

(No model.)

integral with the socket, are two spikes, 0, similar to the centerspike, but projecting radially or diagonally from the socket, as shown,so as to be on an obtuse angle with the side bars of the ladder when thedevice is attached thereto. These three spikes are braced andstrengthened by the lower extension, 6, of the back plate of the socket.

The device is attached to the lower ends of the side bars of the ladderby securing the same in the sockets, as shown, by suitable bolts orscrews, the back plate, 0, and its extension cl being perforated for thepassage of the same. The extension d on the back serves to assist insecurely fastening the device to the ladder, as is evident.

I wish it understood that I do not confine myself to the exactconstruction and arrangement of parts shown and described, asmodifications of the same will suggest themselves to any skilledmechanic. For instance, the socket A may be entirely closed instead. ofopen on its inner side; or the center spike, B, may be entirely-doneaway with; or one only of the radial spikes C may be used instead of Thedevice is cast entirely of one piecc,and therefore can be made verycheaply and may be readily applied to any ladder.

In raising a ladder upon its end it will be readily seen that the radialspikes G will enter the ground a sufficient distance to hold the lowerend of the ladder firmly and securely to the ground. As the ladder iselevated, the other spikes will take into the ground and serve to holdthe ladder in an upright position. It will thus be seen that a greatadvantage with this improved device is that by means of it a single mancan raise a very long ladder without any other manual assistanceWhatever.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An attachment to ladders, consisting of the socket adapted to embracethe lower end of a ladder side bar, the saidlsocket having formedtherewith one or moreradial spikes, C, which project at an obtuse angleto the side of the socket, as and for the purpose set forth.

2'. An attachment to ladders, consisting of the socket A, adapted toembrace and be sedial spikes, the whole being castintegral, sub- 10cured to the ends of the side bars of the ladder stantially asdescribed. and having projecting from its lower corners In testimonywhereof I ailix my signature in the radial spikes O O, as and for thepurpose presence of two witnesses.

5 set forth. 1

J 3. An attachment to ladders, consisting of ELIAS LAGON' the socket A,the radial spikes O 0, project- \Vitnesses: ing from the cornersthereof, and the central W. G. TAYLOR, spike,13, about midway betweenthe said ra- 1 JOHN CUNNEEN.

